Kidney Bean Salad (Printable)

Protein-packed kidney bean salad with crisp vegetables in tangy vinaigrette, ready in 15 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans & Legumes

01 - 2 cups kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cans)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 cucumber, diced
05 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - ½ teaspoon salt
12 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# Step-by-step:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the kidney beans, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and parsley.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.
04 - Adjust seasoning to taste and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 15 minutes with zero cooking required
  • The flavors actually get better after sitting in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep
  • You can customize the vegetables based on whatever needs using up
02 -
  • The salad really does need that chilling time for the beans to absorb the dressing properly
  • Rinse the beans thoroughly to remove the canned taste and excess sodium
  • Dice all the vegetables to roughly the same size so every forkful has the same balance of ingredients
03 -
  • If you have time, let the red onion soak in cold water for 10 minutes before adding to mellow its bite
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving brightens everything up

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